David Anderson has a keen attention for making sure the finer details of a project are attended to. Anybody can do broad strokes, but not everybody takes the time and attention to cross the Ts and dot the Is. David does a lot of crossing and dotting! His ideas are unique, fresh if not totally creepy! Any film, party or event would be lucky to have him art direct their scarefest. I'm creeped out just thinking about it!
David's events are the first and last stop for anyone who seeks to totally immerse themselves in the style, spirit, whimsy and passion of a holiday or themed evening. He is a dedicated master of detail, equally deft at executing the creative and production elements of an event. His elaborate annual Halloween event tricks and treats me every year with a signature theme and must see design. I have actually gotten into Halloween much more in these past years, simply because I have been coming to and looking forward to his events. I can only imagine what other ghoulish ideas are swirling through his brain...and I can't wait to find out...
Attending the Zombie Prom was one of the standout moments of my year. From the moment I received the outright stunning invitation packet in the mail, I knew it was a can't-miss event and I booked my flight from New York to LA straight away for the sole purpose of being there. Two things in particular put this party above all others in my mind. First of all, the build-up. The invitation was so perfect for the theme and easily the most creative and well-thought-out piece of mail I have received in my life. And the Twitter feed that was maintained in-character by David provided a quirky and fun reminder of the upcoming festivities, via a medium that was perfect given the tech focus of the invited guests. And second of all, the time and effort that went into all of this anticipation seemed to raise the bar for the effort and participation level of the guests. Not a soul in the well-attended party simply went through the motions. Even people that typically didn't put much effort into dressing up went all-out, and the already electric atmosphere at the event was made even better for it.
I had the pleasure of recently working with David on one of his famous annual Halloween events. He asked me to help him with ideas on how flowers could be used to enhance his theme but he was also interested in my perspective based on my background in interior design. He had the most amazing ideas and bundles of enthusiasm for every aspect of his party which he had been planning since the prior Halloween. We worked really well together and the ideas just flowed back and forth between us….in fact way too many to even use on this one event! The day of the party when I delivered the flowers (live ones made to look dead) I was astonished at the level of detail that he finally and actually put into it and how organized and calm he was considering the magnitude of the whole thing. I should have had a clue this was going to be one amazing party when I saw the clever invitations weeks earlier, but it ended up looking even more astonishing than I envisioned and the theme was truly, truly clever. It is something I know his lucky guests will be talking about for years! I hope David asks me to work with him again….it was a real professional highlight for me.
Attending an event by David Anderson is a once in a lifetime opportunity. From the delivery of the themed invitation at my door to the perfect momentos, the event completely immersed me in a full-blown experience. The particular event that I attended was an 80s themed Zombie Prom. The invitation included a bloodied folder, complete with failing term paper. Upon arrival, my date and I received skull corsages and were whisked to the photo booth to remember our special evening. The party was covered in fog and once inside I realized that the room was made to look like a high school gymnasium/science lab including an antique coffin with corpse inside and all sorts of specimins on the shelves. Photos of Zombie Prom King and Queen were poster-sized on the walls. The bathroom was papered in old yearbook pages to add to the ambiance. The night brought me right back to those days filled with teenage angst and was an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend David Anderson!
David's events are the pick of the halloween season. Every detail is thoughtfully done and absolutely authentic. He doesn't just create parties...he creates moods and atmospheres to explore. His events tell a story from the beginning with the invitation to the frightfully fun and gruesome end. Everything from menus to decorations to events and music comes together to create a complete interactive experience. You're not even safe in the bathroom!
Crawlspace was less a haunt than a full-scale event. With several distinct rooms and a clear narrative thread, there was plenty for the eye to feast upon. The entryway/hallway, best described as hell's corridor, was composed of walls lined with unplastered wood slats and demonstrated the formidable skill and attention to detail that this haunt had in spades. As you walked through the hallway, lit with low and intermittent red lights, you encountered a series of befouled torsos hanging from the ceiling. Having to push past the carcasses to enter the next room was a nice touch. The hallway emptied into what appeared to be the workspace for the maniac whose (crawl)space we’ve entered. Again the walls are unfinished and work as a perfect backdrop for what we are now invited to examine (to our horror): notes written by the deranged mind of our captor/host; jars of pieces meticulously ordered and sorted; bodies wrapped and laying in state to be worked on; tools a-plenty; and a gruesome flourish, faces (sans heads) stretched out to dry. Cleverly splayed flashlights, perhaps dropped by startled victims/guests, provided additional lighting in this room, and the next. The centerpiece for this room is a body that is being worked on. The gore factor is way up here with a professional corpse that has more than likely had a feature role in a film or two: this is no home-crafter’s work, this is pure industry labor. The visceral charge from the atmosphere is palpable and crackles from the tension. The final room was accessible from the workspace beyond a sheet of industrial strength plastic. Entering this final chamber it quickly became clear that this was the personal space of our killer. An up-ended institutional bed hosts another unfortunate plaything of the host’s: the open cavity of the young woman was upsettingly fresh and, once again, the craftsmanship of the prop is aces. The room also featured small keepsakes of the killer’s, which demonstrated the thoughtfulness, and thoroughness of the event.
Crawlspace was horrifying in all the right ways. Having set the bar this high, I wonder what next year will bring. <<Shudder>>
I had been to David's exuberant halloween parties in the past, but nothing done before could prepare me for what is now legendary known as the Zombie Prom. From the equally terrifying and crafty invite, I could tell this party was going to be something special.
First thing we walked into was the "prom pictures" area. Brilliantly done, yet too scary for me to be in there alone!
Walking into the rest of the house was scaring the living daylights out of me. There were unborn creatures occupied in jars, real life looking mummies, looking as though they might come alive at any second. It was truly terrifying.
And the masterpiece of the whole thing was the real life coffin. It blew my mind that David had rented out a real antique-y looking coffin and there was a cloud of smoke coming out of it. It was like something out of Tales From the Crypt. Very spooky and executed real well with the smoke.
There were so many other things to look at and absorb and just take all in. Frightening pics were hung all around with a very high school theme present...it was the Zombie Prom afterall.
The whole night was outstanding, mortifying and words can't describe how many of us were in such shock at the sheer brilliance of the creepy world that David had created.
It is always fun and inspiring to work with David Anderson. He is a true Artistic Genius. He has such a unique and stylized approach in his Halloween Events and Horror-Themed photo shoots. Not to mention he has a witty sense of humor that will keep you laughing for days. David's Vision and Original Ideas are truly a gift in this Industry and I look forward to seeing his next projects unfold!
I just wanted to write a quick note of thanks for inviting us to your annual Halloween event. From the complexity of the invite (holy cow-- how did you think that up??-- It is amazing!!), I knew we'd be in for a treat at the Zombie Prom. We had a fantastic time, as expected, but what I really wanted to impart was how truly wonderful the setting and atmosphere were. You truly transformed the location into a Zombie high school prom-- complete with lockers /high school memorabilia- and the requisite 'prom photos'-- all with a Zombie slant. How you thought up all the elements I will never know: your attention to detail is unlike any other I've seen. Everywhere we looked there was something new to discover. What an amazing party. Congratulations on a fantastic event!!
I am writing to commend the excellent job of special-themed event planning done by David Anderson. I have attended several themed events in the past and many are poorly planned, poorly executed, poorly attended, or all of the above. So, it is such a pleasure when one is intelligently planned, flawlessly executed, and most importantly, the guests are having fun. "Zombie Prom" for Halloween was some of the most fun I have had! From the food to the decor, everything caught my attention. The detail put into every piece was not missed by me or my fellow party-goers. I am a bit of a shy personality, so the activities got me interacting with new and old faces alike. I work in a customer interactive field, so I appreciate when the passion shows and want to reward it with praise and acknowledgement every time. I definitely look forward to the next event!